Electric fixture



Jim. 24, 1933. M, S E 1,895,050

ELECTRIC FIXTURE Filed April 17, 1928 Patented Jan. 24, 1933 'UNITED STATES PATENT orrlcr.

MARK N. RUSSELL, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO PASS & SEYMOUR, INC., 01? SOL'VAY, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK ELECTRIC FIXTURE This invention relates to electric fixtures, and more particularly to fixtures or brackets such as are directly mounted against side walls or ceilings.

6 It is a general object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved form of fixture or wall bracket.

More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of novel means for mounting the fixture wherein-a base is secured to suitable attaching means in the wall and a canopy or cover carrying the lamp receptacle is attached thereto by current carrying means. 4

One of the features of the invention comprises means whereby wiring of the fixture can readily be done before the canopy is mounted, and whereby wiring may be done on a live circuit.

Novel means of attaching the base of the device to a junction box. and to the canopy and receptacle are provided whereby accurate positioning of the base is not required.

Other novel features of the invention comprise the manner of attaching the receptacle to the canopy and of conducting current to a convenience outlet.

Further novel features will be more apparent to those skilled in the art upon a consideration of the accompanying drawing and following specification, wherein is disclosed a single exemplary embodiment of the invention, it being understood that such changes may be made thfilfiinasfallwithin the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In said drawing:

Fig. 1 is a face view of a fixture constructed according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a central section therethrough taken in the plane connecting the screws which secure the two parts of the fixture to-, gether;

gig. 3 is a rear view of the cover portion; an

Fig. 4 is a face view of the base portion.

Wall fixtures, and particularly those formed of molded insulating material such as porcelain, are desirably mounted against .50 the wall by hidden fastening means in order that their appearance may not be marred by screw heads or the like. It has often been proposed to provide a base on which the amp receptacle is secured and to attach this base to a junction box or like means in the wall, and then apply a canopy over the receptacle and attach the two parts together by a collar threaded on the exterior of the screw shell of the receptacle. This arrangement required an extremely accurate positioning of the base carrying the receptacle in order that the canopy could be drawn tightly against the wall without having the screw shell too far recessed in the threaded collar to properly receive the lamp. The present invention overcomes this diflicnlty by mounting the lamp receptacle directly and permanently in the canopy or cover and providing a base which need not be positioned accurately in respect to the canopy insofar as distance from the wall surface is concerned.

The drawing shows such a fixture in the form of a porcelain wall bracket which is preferably provided with a convenience outlet in some portion of the canopy. Refer ring to the drawing, it will be seen that the fixture is composed of two main parts, the cover 10 and the base 11, held together by screws 12 and 13, both of which carry current and serve to form electrical connections between the terminals 14 and 15 mounted-on the base and the lamp receptacle and convenience outlet mounted on the cover. The heads of the screws 12 and 13 are countersunk and are close beside the screw shell of the lamp receptacle and are covered bythe shade (not shown) which fits over the screw shell and is held in place by the insulating collar or shade holder 16 threaded over the screw shell and abutting the shade and clamping the 90 same between the collar and the face of the canopy. Even if no shade is used, the small collar shown substantially hides the screws, or a larger one may be applied for that purpose. The base 11 is composed of a block of suitable insulating material such as porcelain, having a central perforation 17 To its rear ,face are fastened the metal plates 18, each the slots, screws may be passed into inturned ears in a fixture or junction box, where such a box is used without a plaster ring and thus the base may be securely mounted on the box by the customary screws which normally hold the cover on the box. It is sometimes more convenient, and particularly so where aplaster ring such as isused on the box 21,'to use a single mounting screw to hold the base in position. This mounting screw may conveniently be attached to a collar 22 screwed onto the fixture stud 23 in the bottom of the box, and having the closed end 24 into which the screw 25 may be received. The screw25 has its head engaged on the. outer surface of the metal plate 26 provided with a key-hole 0pening 27 and the struck v up rib 28to retain the head of the screw in position. This platema-y be fastened to the front face of theinsulati'on block by means of screws'such as 30-whi'ch pass through the block and en ge in theplates 18-to also hold them'in position. I On either side of the block and in recesses in the front face thereof, are mountedtheterminal members 14 and 15 previously-mentioned,;.which consist of arcuate metal plates fastenedt'oithe block byv screws such-l as 31-,having theirheads countersunk "in the underside? vof ;.--.tla; bloc'kand being threaded into the" terminal-members. Suitable bindingscrews such as '.32 may be received into the 'terininal members for the filly.

tachinent of line wires tothe terminal members. Each terminal member has a threaded opening 33 therein ito'receiveione of the screws 12, 13 wherebyijlthe cover can beaattached to and supportedfrom the base mem- The cover 10 may have anyedesiredexterior configuration, and base. canopy. portion 10. of suitable size to cover" 'thequnction :boxl as shown in Fig.2. Thee 11 even though this base isgn'ot drawn. up

tightly against the wall. As'p reviouslyfmen tioned, the screws 12 and 13 pass through suitable apertures in the cover and} when;v the same is mounted, are engaged in the'terminal; members 14 and 15 as best' shown m Fig.2.

For ease in assembly, the screws areprovi'ded with shar points as shown, and may be loosely secure together by a strip 35 of insulat ng material so that they may remain properly spaced to more readily enter the openings 1ntended for them. Reliance may be placed on block 11 so that the proper alignment of the 'ri-is provided with :.-an irregular shaped recess 4 in the under side; I A 1 "thereof whereby. it may'easily' fitover the base" screws 12 and 13 and the holes 33 is insured. The channels 39 are. for the purpose of accommodating the heads of the screws which may pass through the slots in the arms 19, in case the base is fitted up tightly within the cover.

The block of insulating material 40 may be attached in the bottom of a slot or groove in the wall of the canopy by'means of the screw 41 and contains convenience outlet spring contacts to engage plug blades which pass through the openings 41. The construction of this part'is shown and described in my copending application Serial No. 215,721, filed August 26, 1927.

The front face of the cover is provided with a shallow recess 42 into which the base of the screw shell 43 is received. The inturned flanges 44 integral with this screw shell tit on opposite sides of the rib 45 on the partition between recesses 34 and 42, and the screw shell is held in position by the arms of the Y- shaped member 46 which pass over the flanges 44. The leg of this member 46 passes through the slot 47 and into the depression 48 surrounding the head of the screw 12. It is perforated for the passage of the screw. It will thus be seen that the screw head will make contact with a part of the member 46 and thus connect the screw shell of the receptacle with the screw 12 which will then connect it to the terminal member 14 whereby current will be supplied directly to the screw v outlet and thus one terminal of the convenience outlet is placed in communication with The screw 13 passes through ahollow rivet 51'in a'n appropriate opening in the partition 3 of the cover, and the inner end of this rivet secures the'strap 52 in position. Integral with this strap 52 is a'rrightangle portion 53 which forms'the other conductor to the convenience outlet, which is thus placed in com mnnication,-by way of the screw 13, with the terminalmember 15. The two contacts of the convenience outlet are thusalways directly connected tothe terminals of the line wires. At .the junction' of the parts 52 and 53 of the conductor strap, is a hollowfrivet 54 pass ing through the strap and through'the partition wall of the cover and holdingthe strap in position and in contact with the stationary switch contact member 55. A second switch contact '56 opposite to the contact 55 is mounted by means of a hollow rivet 57 onto the partition and the other end of the rivet supports the center contact 59 of the lamp socket. A bridging member 60 is adapted to be rotated about the central spindie 61 to connect the switch contacts and 56 when desired, and thus place the center contact of the lamp socket in communication, by way of the screw 13, with the terminal member 15. It will be remembered that the screw shell is in communication with the terminal member 14 and when the bridging member is in the position shown in Fig. 2,

current will be conducted-to a lamp in the socket.

The means for rotating the bridging member which loosely fits over the spindle 61 is that of the conventional pull chainswitch wherein a disk 62 of insulating material is adapted to oscillate about the spindle 61 under the action of a chain 63 passing through a suitable chain guiding hole 64 to the exterior of the canopy. The under surface of the disk 62 is provided with ratchet teeth (not shown) adapted. to engage with suitable cooperating teeth on the upper surface of the bridging member and to rotate the same in ninety degree steps for each movement of the chain and disk 62 in a forward direction. A chain return spring 65 surrounds the central spindle 61 on the receptacle side of the partition in the'canopy and is housed in a recess therein; and has one end passed through the head of the spindle and the other bent radially outwardly and received in a slot 67 in the wall of the spring receiving recess. The head of the spindle may be provided with a slot to receive a screw driver so that the spring can be tightened. The spindle is attached to the disk 62 so that the disk is caused to rotate therewith by means of a pin 68 passing at right angles through the spindle 61 and received in one of the two cross slots 70 in the insulating disk. The under surface of the insulating disk is provided with the metal plate 71 carrying the ratchet teeth previously mentioned, and since this plate is not provided with'the slots 70, the pin 68 seats against it and the expansion of the spring retains the pin in whichever slot 7 0 it is placed. By pushing down on the head of the spindle and rotating the same, the spring may be tightened and then the pin 68 dropped into the proper slot. The'longitudinal expansion of the spring maintainsthe bridging member 60 against the stationarycontacts or the space th'rebetween. The surface on which the ends of this bridging member travels is provided with ratchet teeth as is well known in pull chain socket switches.

In the construction just described, it will be seen that it is not necessary to accurately position the base, since the lamp receptacle is permanently carried in the cover and is always properly located. in respect thereto. Therefore, the base can be mounted rapidly and without any great accuracy and the cover can be attached thereto by means of thescrews 12 and 13 after the wiring of the base has been done. These screws carry the current not only for the lamp but for the convenience outlet which is not, however, affected by the operation of the switch controlling the lamp.

IV here it is desired to polarize the lamp contacts and those of the outlet, the terminal members ll and 15 may be suitably designated such as by making one of brass and the other of nickel as required in some states, and then making the slot 38, for instance, wider than the slot 37, and correspondingly shaping the block 11 so that there is but one position in which the base and the canopy can be assembled.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In an electric fixture, in combination, a base adapted to be attached to a terminal box in a wall, circuit terminals on said base adapted to be connected to a source of power, a canopy to cover said base and having a surface to engage the wall, a lamp receptacle carried within said canopy and having terminals thereon, and screws passing through said canopy and electrically connecting said lamp terminals to said circuit terminals and holding said canopy against said wall, said base being of such size as to always be out of physical contact with the canopy.

2. In an electric fixture, in combination, a base member adapted to be attached to a terminal box, a pair of circuit terminals secured to said base, a cover for said base, a lamp receptacle carried by said cover, a convenience outlet carried by said cover, a switch for said receptacle interposed in the circuit of one contact thereof, a terminal bushing in said cover, means connecting said bushing to said switch and to one terminal of said outlet and a screw passing through said bushing and engaged in one of said circuit terminals for the purpose described.

3. In an electric fixture, in combinatidn, a base member adapted to be attached to a terminal box, a pair of circuit terminals secured to said base, a cover for said base, a lamp'receptacle carried by said cover, a convenience outlet carried by said cover, a switch for said receptacle interposed in the circuit of one contact thereof, a terminal bushing in said cover, means connecting said bushing to said switch and to one terminal of said outlet, a screw passing through said bushing and engaged in one of said circuit terminals,

and means electrically connecting said other and including a screw shell contact and a center contact, a pair of switch contacts on the reverse side of said part, a bridging member adapted to be engaged with said switch contacts, a spindle loosely engaged by said bridging member, a disk secured to said spindle, a chain attached to said disk and passing through an opening in said part and a spring engaging said part and said spindle.

5. An electric fixture including in combination, a base, circuit terminals on the base, :1. cover for said base, a lamp receptacle carried by said cover and having a screw shell, terminals on the outside of said cover, a switch mechanism associated with the receptacle, connections between the screw shell and one terminal of the switch and the respective outside terminals, means connecting the outside terminals to the respective circuit terminals and extending beside the switch mechanism, and a sleeve of insulating material engaging over the screw shell and substantially covering the outside terminals and the exposed parts of said means.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

MARK N. RUSSELL. 

